


Patter

by NSM



Series: Rainproof [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 01:41:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4416212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NSM/pseuds/NSM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oscar is a painfully shy Omega who finds solace in solitude and books. Theo is the charismatic Alpha who chances upon the small cafè Oscar works in, during a brief spell of rain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing an ongoing story instead of a oneshot, so apologies if it's a bit too rough around the edges. More notes at the end!

Oscar Tomás was a shy man. In the three months that he had worked at ' _Caffè Lampone'_ he had struggled to establish eye contact with a single customer and yet to raise his voice over a mumble when faced with conversation. It was a peaceful way of life to keep his distance from other people, if not occasionally lonely. Either way, Oscar had convinced himself that he was content with the lifestyle that he had. Or rather, his crippling anxiety had. To watch everyone else from afar was more than enough to satisfy the small Pinoy's social needs.

It was during a dead shift in autumn that he began to question this perspective.

The day had been slow; his co-worker called in sick due to a bout of flu, and the stream of customers that the café typically enjoyed had slowed down to a trickle. Oscar wasn't going to complain though, it meant that he had more time to clean and stock the shop without the pressure of limited time and the demand of service. It was rare that he could enjoy a day as quiet as such, and despite the ever-constant gnawing of anxiety in the pit of his stomach, Oscar's mood was lighter than usual.

When the bell of the door rang for the sixth time that day Oscar glanced up from his doodles of fish and stars in his notepad and subconsciously shrunk into himself. There was a light shower outside and the new customer, whoever he was, was clearly less than impressed with the weather. His eyes darted down to the counter before he could risk eye contact and he cleared his throat as quietly as he could.

"Good afternoon."

' _Oh.'_ Oscar's tongue felt heavier in his mouth than usual, the deep baritone of the man across the counter was incredibly rich. "A-afternoon. Welcome to Caffè Lampone, what can I get you?"

"A towel, preferably," the man chuckled and Oscar could see him take his hands out of his pockets from the corner of his eye. "Could I have a latte please?"

Oscar nodded fervently and chanced a look at the man. His nostrils flared as he took a discreet breath in – an Alpha. Oddly flustered, he set about making the man's drink. It wasn't unusual to react in this manner when faced with such a situation, Oscar reassured himself. After all, even if he was romantically inept, he was an Omega and it was only instinctual to feel as highly strung as he did.

"I'm surprised it's this empty – were you about to close? I'm not intruding, am I?" The stranger's voice sounded concerned and Oscar fought the urge to bury his face into his hands. His face was red, he just knew it!

"No…," Oscar steadied his shaking hand as he stirred milk into the coffee slowly "It's always slow on a Sunday." He focused on creating the floral pattern that he had been trained to create on the foam.

"Is that so? I guess this place _is_ tucked away." a drumming of fingertips against a table top.

Oscar hummed quietly in agreement and cupped the mug carefully, setting it upon the counter. There was a quiet scrape of wooden chair legs against the tile floor and when Oscar looked up from his precise placement of the mug, he was met with warm ochre eyes.

' _Oh no.'_ His eyes instantly darted away in embarrassment; his cheeks reddening as he furiously stared at the floor.

"Shy, huh?" a warm chuckle. "How much?"

Oscar's brow furrowed with confusion.

"The coffee?"

"O-oh!" How he wished the ground would swallow him where he stood. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "One-fifty."

"Cool," the rattling of change. Oscar focused on his doodles and unclenched his fists. "Here ya go."

"Thanks," Oscar mumbled nervously and scraped the coins from the counter and sorted them into the cash register. Oh _God_ that voice! Those eyes! He gnawed on his bottom lip. _'God, I'm so childish.'_

"Am I really that scary?" the tone was playful but Oscar's chest throbbed nervously all the same.

"N-no… I'm just, um, slow I guess?"

The other man's scent was heavy and comforting in Oscar's nose, earthy and clean, coaxing out the limited replies that he could offer.

Another rumbling chuckle. "Name's Theo. Well, it's Theodore, but only my grandma calls me that."

"Theo," Oscar murmured shyly "Oscar."

"Oscar," Theo repeated in likewise fashion, Oscar internally melting into a puddle. "Nice to meet you. I've been meaning to check this place out for a while now but my friends have 'their spot' that they insist on going to every time, you know?"

Oscar nodded dumbly. He had no clue how to respond to this not-so-stranger (who was emitting what should have been considered _illegal_ pheromones in his direction). However, as conversation progressed, he found that the knots in his stomach were gradually uncoiling in response to the inviting tone of voice.

"You look young. Are you a student?" Theo asked after a long sip of his drink.

"Yes," Oscar mumbled. "Are you?"

"Yeah, my third year. What are you taking?"

"Literature," Oscar mentally prepared himself for the impending snort or frown that would typically follow his answer.

"Cool," Theo smiled encouragingly at Oscar. "I take Music studies."

"I-I like music." Oscar flushed red with embarrassment. _'Smooth, man. Real smooth.'_

"Yeah?" Theo laughed, drumming his fingertips against the side of his mug. "What kind of music?"

Oscar rested his head against his folded arms on the countertop. "Anything that sounds good, I-I guess?" He paused in thought. "I like Pop."

"I like Jazz," the larger man took another sip from his drink "but I guess I could deal with some Pop."

Oscar's eyebrows shot into his fringe. ' _Is he… flirting with me? For real?'_ He tilted his face further into his arms and smiled awkwardly. "I listen to the radio…"

Theo hummed in understanding and nodded his head. "I'm pretty selective when it comes to what I like," Oscar was certain that the wicked smile shot in his direction was intentional.

He was struck by how abnormally talkative he had become around this man who he had known for no longer than half an hour. It stirred up a feeling of uncertainty and doubt in his chest that was systematically soothed with each inhalation of Theo's scent.

"Maybe I'll convince my friends to come here next time. It's chill."

The knot in Oscar's stomach returned almost simultaneously. Somehow the prospect of a large group of people coming to the shop who were not only bound to be all laughs and chatter, but also there to witness his clumsy attempts at human speech was all too real. The reminder that Oscar was worlds apart from this incredibly charismatic man was somewhat depressing.

"Thank you," he lifted his head and began to wipe down the counter top, eager for distraction.

Theo seemed to sense the discomfort radiating from the smaller man, and quickly changed the topic. "So how long have you worked here?"

"Three months," Oscar looked up from the counter momentarily, coughing into his hand. "I-I'm very fortunate." He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling his waves.

Theo's posture stiffened and his eyes became inscrutably focused on Oscar.

"Yeah."

Oscar's cheeks were on fire and he could feel his heart pounding heavily in his chest. _'It's not even that time of year.'_ He dreaded to think about what his behaviour would be like if it were.

"Hey, uh…"

Oscar shyly looked at the other over his shoulder at the sound of his voice.

"Could I come here again? To see you?"

The solid confirmation that Theo had indeed been flirting with him settled in the pit of Oscar's stomach. The trepidation clawing at his insides was softened by a flush of pleasure. "I would… I would like that."

"Yeah?" the relief in Theo's voice caused a small smile to quirk Oscar's lips.

He balled his hands into his apron. It had been a long time since he had been faced with this kind of social situation. The reflection in the black countertop affirmed his fears of being one curly Filipino tomato.

"Then," Theo rose from his seat and leaned onto the counter. "Could I ask for your number, too?"

"Oh God," Oscar vocalised unintentionally, slapping his hand over his mouth awkwardly "Yes?" he squeaked.

That _laugh._ It made him feel weak at the knees.

"Alright. Cool," the Alpha pulled a pen out of his jacket and grabbed a napkin from the pile next to the display case. He pushed the two towards Oscar, the back of his hand brushing against the others.

Oscar felt intoxicated; the close proximity at which that addictive smell was assaulting him was sensory overload. He nervously scrawled his mobile number onto the napkin and then pushed it shyly back towards the man. Theo took the napkin with a grin, resting his hand on Oscar's carefully.

"Tell me if I'm too much, Oscar. I'm not trying to force you," the deep baritone permeated through every brain cell in Oscar's body.

"I-I'm just awkward," Oscar reassured the taller man, trying his hardest to look up at the man's face. It was such a _handsome_ face, too. All angular and rugged. He repressed a shudder. "This is a bit, um… quick?"

"It is?" Theo scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, I've been told I'm too forward. Gut instinct, perhaps."

The following silence was interrupted by a low rumbling from Theo's pocket. He fished his mobile out of the pocket of his pants and swiped his thumb across the screen.

"Hello? Yeah. Yeah, no problem. I'm on my way now."

Oscar attempted a meek smile and rubbed his forearm. It was disheartening to know that their encounter was going to be cut short.

"I have to get going now. I promised some friends I'd meet up with them," Theo explained apologetically. He breathed in deeply, slipping his phone back into his pocket and picking up his coat. "I'll call you. When are you free?"

"Tomorrow," Oscar startled himself with the speed with which he replied, quiet as it was.

"Tomorrow, then," Theo grinned toothily at Oscar, rubbing his chin. "Talk to you later."

Oscar nodded eagerly and raised his hand to timidly wave at the man. Only once he had left the café did Oscar let his hand fall onto his chest, and all the air he had been storing in his chest to whoosh out at once.

' _Ooo boy, I'm in trouble.'_

To his embarrassment, a smile crept onto his lips that refused to leave. He clasped his hand over his mouth and moved to collect the mug that Theo had left behind. The Alpha's scent stayed heavy in the air – or maybe just in Oscar's memory – and blended with the smell of coffee. An agreeable scent, Oscar thought.

He'd never been so reluctant to close shop.


	2. First Dates A Charm

It was the soft drumming of rain on glass that Oscar awoke to the next day. The sky was largely white with cloud cover and the chinks in his bedroom blinds allowed bright streams of light to filter through the stillness and into Oscar's eyes. Perturbed enough to find no solace in burying his head under the covers, Oscar admitted defeat and heaved himself upwards so that his back was leaning against the headrest. The reflection he caught staring distantly back at him from his wardrobe mirror was that of a dishevelled, tired man whose hair had abandoned ship and had attempted to leave it's home unsuccessfully, resulting in the curly tufts of hair that stuck up at abnormal angles all over his head. In his haze Oscar could smell toasted bread and, in his zombie like trance, habitually forced himself out of bed and shuffled out of his room and into the kitchen.

"Mornin'," the greeting came from his roommate, Jax, who had glanced over their shoulder upon his arrival.

Oscar made a semblance of a grunt and dropped into one of the two kitchen chairs sat across from the coffee table. He buried his head in his arms and yawned loudly.

"You look rough," Jax snorted, the clinking of cutlery following. "Why are you up? You get to lay in today."

The subject in question raised his head and settled his gaze upon one of the many intricate tattoos that decorated Jax's right arm.

"I don't know. It's bright," the defeated mumble made Jax laugh, prompting a resentful glare in their direction. "I'm hungry."

As if on cue, Jax placed a plate with a piece of toast on it in front of Oscar, the other already being within their own mouth. "I'm not that hungry so you can have this. Make some proper food when you're fully awake."

Oscar nodded balefully and began chewing on the toast.

"I didn't catch you before I went to bed last night. How was work?" Jax dropped down into the seat opposite Oscar, chewing on a mouthful of toast also.

Oscar's mind was flooded with the memory of his encounter the day before, causing him to release a startled "Oh!" He struggled to swallow the mouthful of not entirely chewed toast in his hurry to speak. "I met someone at work,"  _cough_ "his name is Theodore," he cleared his throat "and I gave him my number."

Jax's eyebrows show into their bangs. " _You?"_

"Yes, I know," Oscar wiped his mouth with the back of his hand hastily, leaning over the table with excitement. "I don't know why, but, it's like…"

Jax folded their arms and regarded the other with a mix of amusement and weariness.

"He's really beautiful. And he smells really good. I don't know! I wasn't really thinking!" Oscar wrung his hands with frustration at his failure to convey the extent to which Theo had affected him to his best friend.

Jax tapped Oscar's forearm lightly. "Chill. I get it, you like the guy," a small grin cracked over their face. "A? B? I'm guessing A."

"Alpha, I think, he's really big, so," Oscar blinked in earnest at his friend. "So nice though."

"A lot of 'em are, you know," Jax rolled their eyes and ran a hand through the mop of hair on top of their head.

"But  _still..._ ," Oscar sighed wistfully. "Maybe he won't call me, actually. He was probably bored or something. It was raining, so."

Jax gave Oscar an irritable look, flicking his hand. "If he calls, he calls. If he doesn't, he's too stupid to be worth your time anyway."

Oscar smiled appreciatively at Jax, replying with a nod.

"I have to go to my lecture now, we'll continue this later, yes?" Jax arose from their seat and rubbed the back of their neck.

"Yes. Have a good day, I'll see you later."

Oscar craned his neck up in response to the expectant tap on Jax's face. He planted his lips firmly against the other's cheek, receiving one of his own in exchange. Jax offered him a quick grin before hurriedly leaving the apartment.

The rest of Oscar's morning was fairly routine. He pottered around their home, picking up a stray music magazine here and watering the odd plant there, nudging askew furniture back into its place and collecting empty beer bottles (that Jax had left scattered around the place) to be put into the recycling.

It was around 10 o'clock that he was disturbed from his reproachful staring at the unused washing line through the window by a shrill buzzing on the coffee table. A lump quickly formed in his throat that he nervously swallowed down, and grabbed for his phone.

_hey it's Theo from yesterday. good morning._

Oscar let out a minute breathy laugh, tilting his head with interest. His texting etiquette was palpably different from the real deal.  _'Don't want him to think I'm weird and desperate_.' Oscar sunk into his seat on the couch and brought his knees to his chest, slowly counting to twenty before replying.

_Good morning, how are you?_

Oscar nodded decisively, proud with his fairly normal response. His thumb hesitated over the send button for a moment before he felt composed enough to hit it. Needless to say, Theo's reply came significantly quicker than Oscar's had.

_I'm ok. roommates decided to vacuum at 7. :/_

He snickered into his sleeve, rolling his eyes.

_Boo. Mine never cleans so I'm fine._

Oscar gazed fixatedly at his screen, expectant. To his apprehensive delight Theo appeared to be consistently efficient with his texts.

_Haha. hey, sorry for being so forward yesterday_

_friend said I'd scare you off. Lol_

His thoughts trailed back to the day before. Theo had indeed been incredibly forward, but then again… Oscar cringed. He'd acted like he was nearing his first heat.  _'Thirst heat,'_  He heard Jax mock him in his head.

_It's okay. I'm sorry for being hard to talk to._

With a purse of his lips, he considered tacking an emoticon on the end of his message. He chose to go with his better instinct not to.

_nothing wrong with being shy._

Oscar could feel the dimples in his cheeks as a broad smile crept across his face. The two continued to share texts back and forth for another twenty minutes.

_hey, would you be comfortable on the phone? don't feel like wearing glasses in bed._

Oscar blinked at the message, surprised. He hadn't been expecting to talk to the man again so soon. The reassurance that Theo couldn't see him internally combust comforted Oscar enough to hesitantly reply with a pensive:

_Sure._

The soft buzz of his phone in his hand followed shortly after. Palms a tad sweaty, Oscar swiped his thumb across the screen slowly.

"Hello?" to his chagrin, his voice was shakier than he had wanted.

" _Hey. It's good to hear your voice again."_

Oscar gaped at his phone with disbelief.  _'Says old choco-tonsils.'_ Rather than voicing his opinions however, he gave a small hum in agreement. He could make out voices distantly in the background – his roommates, he guessed.

"They  _are_ kinda loud."

Theo laughed, and the sound made Oscar's chest feel warm. He'd decided that morning voice was truly a blessing.

" _They've been louder. What're you up to today?"_

He furrowed his brow, in thought.

"Um… I don't have work, so… I usually get coffee with my roommate," Oscar tilted his head back against the sofa cushion, scratching his neck.

" _That would be the untidy one?"_

He laughed shyly.

"Mhm, that one."

" _We're going out for lunch today too. You two could join us, if you'd be up to it."_

Oscar began to reply, but paused. As much as the desperate singleton in him was clawing to take up Theo's offer, his weekly routine with Jax was safe; it was his security blanket. He hummed, troubled.

"I-I can ask? They might say no…," he couldn't ignore the unclenching of his gut at the prospect of denying the invitation.  _'The struggles of being a freakin' hermit.'_

" _It'd be fun,"_ Theo tempted him playfully.  _"My friends don't bite. They're cool."_

"Um…," Oscar frowned. He feared that Theo was mistaking gut wrenching anxiety for being a wallflower. "I'll ask…"

Theo was quiet for a moment.

" _No pressure, yeah? We'll be at 'The Green Space' at one o'clock, so feel free to come if you feel up to it,"_ another pause.  _"It'll be chill. Promise."_

Oscar hummed quietly. He knew the place that Theo spoke of, it was just across the road from the campus Jax would be studying in. He glanced up at the wall clock; it was coming up to half past 11 o'clock, and Jax would be done at 12.

He could hear a voice hollering for Theo's attention in the background.

" _Yes?"_ the man didn't sound pleased to be interrupted in the middle of his coercion of Oscar. There was garbled talking, a groan and then the sound of raucous laughing.

Oscar drummed his fingers against his knees awkwardly.  _'People.'_  He shuddered. Jax could be fairly rowdy when they had the right amount of drink in them, but Oscar was used to that. It was endearing.

" _Sorry about that."_

"No worries," Oscar smiled a tight-lipped smile, bowing his head out of habit.

" _So, you'll ask?"_

"Yes," Oscar nibbled his lip. Despite it not being uncommon for omegas like himself to have some form of guardian when it came to courting and the like, he couldn't help but feel guilty. He knew it was hard work to coax conversation (let alone a date) out of him.

" _Great. Then I'll see you later, perhaps?"_

"Oh, yes."

" _Bye."_

_Click._

Oscar exhaled through his nose steadily. Maybe this wasn't the best idea he'd had. He wrung his hands and closed his eyes. He'd wait for Jax to come home and then decide on what to do. Yes, that seemed logical.

He allowed his gaze to linger on his ruffled reflection in the coffee table.

' _I'll get dressed just in case though.'_

* * *

Jax had arrived back at the flat at about quarter-to. An already groomed and carefully dressed Oscar had addressed the issue of Theo's invite and had been readily given the OK, on the condition that Oscar would cook dinner that evening.

"You know," Jax begun, as they shut the front door behind them and slung their arm over Oscar's shoulders affectionately "It's good you're getting out."

"I go out all the time," Oscar complained, resting a hand over the hand that Jax had lazily draped across his collar.

"To  _work,_  mate," Jax grinned cheekily, their tongue piercing peeking through their smile. "You won't find a pack with this attitude."

"I don't  _want_  a pack," Oscar blanched, nudging Jax lightly "I have you."

"Honestly," Jax tutted disapprovingly (though unabashedly pleased) and rubbed one of their eyes. "It'll happen eventually. Even for me. Of course I'll stay with you, but you get my drift."

Oscar shrugged stubbornly and kept his eyes fixated on the untrustworthy cobblestone of the path they were walking. He'd tripped one too many times.

"Packs are too intimate. You were born into one, it's different," he mumbled defensively, pursing his lips.

"Ah, true," Jax conceded. "Oh – I got you."

Oscar, who had very nearly stumbled as soon as he raised his head to reply, smiled appreciatively.

"You nervous?" Jax glanced down at their shorter friend curiously.

"Cripplingly," Oscar muttered, mercilessly biting his lips. He could see the sign for the café a few strides ahead and naturally gravitated closer to the safe warmth Jax provided. Said friend tightened their hold of his shoulders and murmured soothing reassurances into his ear.

"We'll be alright. You'll do great. First introductions are out of the way already. This is the easy part," Oscar was nearly unaware of Jax slowly guiding him into the establishment. "I'm here, doll. We'll be alright."

Oscar smiled faintly and allowed his eyes to quickly survey the large space of the café, finally settling on a small group of fairly loud students in the far corner. He breathed in slowly. There were too many scents in the place for him to definitively pick out the heady smell that Theo had had before, but Jax seemed to pick up on his body language and eased him over towards the general direction of the corner.

By a stroke of luck, Theo noticed the curious gazes of the people he was sat with land on the two behind him. He turned his head and smiled, seemingly relieved.

"Hey," he stood from his seat and offered his hand to Jax, who shook it firmly "I'm Theo," he turned his attention down to the significantly smaller stature of Oscar, his smile softening. "Glad you could make it."

Oscar nodded dumbly, glad to be able to discern the intoxicating scent of the man at close quarters.

"Ah, Grace, Noah – Oscar. And…?" Theo gestured between a man and a woman sat at the table (the latter of which seemed preoccupied with devouring the cake on the plates in front of her companions) and Jax. "…Max? Sorry, I'm bad with names."

"Jax," Oscar found himself chiming in indignantly. He flushed red. "Th-this is Jax. Roommate."

Jax stroked his forearm reassuringly.

"Yeah, roommate and part-time childhood friend. Nice to meet you," Jax mock bowed and the small spike in tension dissipated.

"Please – take a seat," Theo gestured to the spacious booth, particularly the bench that only he had sat on.

Jax nudged Oscar into the booth and sat down beside him, their knee resting against Oscar's in a constant reassurance of their presence.

"Hi," the man called Noah waved politely. Oscar bowed his head and mumbled a small "hi", unable to help but notice the bite-shaped scar on his lower forearm, across his wrist.

"Hallooo," Grace sung goofily, offering a mock salute and smiled warmly. Oscar couldn't help but smile shyly back at her.

"We weren't sure what you two drink, so I asked for them to bring over two lattes if you guys came," Theo explained, his baritone boring into Oscar's sensibilities. He could practically feel Jax cringe at the prospect of drinking coffee that wasn't black beside him, but they stayed complacent.

The promised drinks arrived momentarily after, and the group descended into idle chatter.

"So, Oscar, you're an English student?" Noah asked, rolling his eyes at Grace's crooning over Jax's many piercings.

"Um, yes –"Oscar was distracted by Jax poking their little finger through the gauge in their left ear, and elbowed his friend by habit "Wh-… you?"

"Photog," Noah picked at the remains of his cake leisurely and tilted his head "I've never seen you around campus."

"I have!" Grace happily interrupted Noah's trail of thought, choking on a crumb of un-chewed food.

"Chew, Grace," Theo shook his head in disdain at the woman's actions, leaning down to Oscar's ear and murmuring a subtle "you'd never guess she was an Alpha, would you?"

Oscar squirmed hotly; despite Theo's words lacking any seductive intention they'd certainly had an effect as such.

Theo chuckled, taking Oscar's dazed expression as an answer to his question. He raised a hand to scratch his chin and Oscar's gaze fixed on an identical scar in size and placement as the one on Noah's wrist.

"Pack bites," Jax murmured into his ear. They had noticed it too.

Oscar glanced across to Jax and nodded tensely. Packs made him nervous.

"Hey, no fair. These two are boring, let me in too," Grace complained loudly, causing her friends to shake their heads with reluctant shared grins.

"Swallowed this time, Grace?" Noah snickered into his hand, earning a playful tug of a lock of his hair.

Oscar was overwhelmed by how underwhelming the stress of the social interactions had been so far. It was uncomfortably comfortable, unsettling him. Even just watching Theo banter back and forth with people at the table (including Jax) was weirdly satisfying, and made him feel oddly enamoured.

At some point during the continuous flow of conversation, Theo's knee had ended up settled against Oscar's own – a fact that his body had immediately registered as pleasant and warm. He squeezed his hands between his thighs nervously and risked an excited shy smile up at the Alpha. Theo acknowledged the smile with a gentle smile of his own, drumming his fingers on the table top, pleased.

Noah eyed the two knowingly, occasionally sharing smirks with both Grace and Jax.  _'Cute,'_  He'd mouthed at one point.

By the end of lunch their fingertips were just touching under the table, resting on their knees. They'd exchanged their own little conversations, including topics such as Theo's roommates, Oscar's work and other, small things that amounted to an awful lot for Oscar.

He almost denied Jax's tug on his arm to leave an hour later, but eventually prized himself from the leather upholstery and away from Theo's thigh.

"Come on princess," Jax smiled victoriously, linking their arm through the crook of Oscar's elbow. They stooped down to whisper into his ear "Arrange to meet up with him again, go on."

Oscar's eyes widened – he hadn't thought that far ahead. He turned back to face Theo, his mouth growing dry.

"Ph-phone," Oscar stuttered, holding up his hand to his ear. Jax rubbed a small circle into the back of his hand with the pad of their thumb and Oscar gulped down his peaking fear of rejection. "Tonight? …Any – any time?"

Theo seemed startled by the initiative that the Omega had taken, nodding slowly with an entertained grin.

"I will," He stood up to join the two leaving, pausing hopefully.

Jax nudged Oscar forward and Oscar knew exactly why. Cheek kisses were a first date custom, he knew that much. Apprehensively, he leaned up to plant a gentle kiss against the stubble on the side of Theo's jaw, quickly darting away with Jax in tow immediately after.

"Well," Jax whistled merrily "that exceeded my expectations."

Oscar planted his face into Jax's side, crimson with embarrassment.

"Shut up."

* * *

Hi, guys! Sorry for the delay with getting out this chapter - I lost my harddrive and all my stuff with it. This chapter was originally much longer but, you know, motivation kind of drops when you lose everything. 8'D

Anyhow, I'm back online now so alls well that ends well. I'll try to push out chapters as fast as I can without jeopardising the plot.

Feel free to follow me on el tumblr warlockllama B)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> come say hi on tumblr @warlockllama


	3. Second Date's Too Cold

It was six days until Oscar got to see Theo again. Looming deadlines of essays soon to be due and added shifts at ' _Caffé Lampone_ ' bared down on his small shoulders, eating up his free time as well as his mood. Thankfully, the older man had been persistent with texting and the occasional phone call which sustained the growing longing in the pit of Oscar's stomach, though not as much as he'd have liked. How they could study at the same campus and never come across each other, he didn't know.

Sundays were usually much busier for the shop than they had been the week previous. Something about students with hangovers and overdue essays to boot always seemed to fill the cushioned chairs up relatively quickly. Every now and again Oscar would serve someone he'd recognize from a lecture or a seminar though they would usually be too absorbed in their own matters to take notice of the face behind the apron. He supposed that he preferred it that way, in a sense. Sometimes it was a tad hurtful. This Sunday was no different, and as Oscar hurried to fulfill the requests that his co-worker, Karen, passed onto him he found himself somewhat sluggish in his response.

"Chin up duck, only three more hours," Karen smiled sympathetically.

Oscar smiled weakly at the older woman. Whilst it was comforting to have someone around who radiated as strong a maternal aura as she did, it did little to affect his mood. He pushed his bangs out of his eyes and thumbed his temples gingerly. There was a dull throbbing in his skull that was threatening to bloom into a fully-fledged headache.

Karen patted his shoulder before leaving behind the counter to clean up any clutter that the stream of customers would leave behind. Oscar called out a quiet 'thank you', knowing that that was what was expected of him, not her. The woman waved him off kindly and continued her work, leaving Oscar to man the register.

Two hours rolled by and the amount of people inhabiting the snugly furnished place driveled down to only a few. Oscar's eyes glued themselves to the clock opposite the counter, urging the hand to move from five to six. The tinkle of the bell over the front door gradually gained his attention, his gaze dropping from the wall.

He hadn't noticed he was scowling until the amused expression of an approaching Theo fell into his sights. He straightened from his slouch immediately, his mouth slightly agape.

"Hey?" Theo smiled cautiously, quirking an eyebrow in question at Oscar's demeanor.

Oscar let out a hefty sigh, smiling into his hand. He allowed himself to appreciate the broad lines of Theo's shoulders, his jaw, and his legs. A sight for sore eyes.

' _Thank you, gay God.'_

"Hi," he could feel Karen's stare on him, and he turned around to offer her an "Um… Friend from uni…"

The woman clicked her tongue knowingly and turned back to the display case of pastries with a smile on her face.

"Busy day?" Theo asked, leaning on the counter.

" _Yes,_ " Oscar groaned and palmed his eyes. He chanced a peek up at Theo's face and felt his cheeks tinge pink. "What can I get you?"

"Uh," Theo eyed the chalkboard menu above Oscar's head. "Same as last time? Latte."

Oscar nodded and set about making the drink, Theo taking a seat closest to the counter so that he could watch him work. He could hear the man drum his fingers against the table top, something he could tell to be a habit. Oscar smiled to himself. It was endearing.

"When do you get off today?" Theo asked casually, fixing Oscar with a subtly determined look as he placed the cup carefully onto the placemat in front of him.

"In – um – I think," Oscar babbled nervously, his hands curling into his apron. "Six? Six… Six."

"It gets dark early in this season," Theo stirred his drink. "I'll walk you back."

Oscar's mouth fell agape, quickly snapping back shut when he could hear Karen's muffled chortling from behind the display case. He nodded fervently and willed himself not to breathe in too much, it would be more than embarrassing for him to become a puddle of hormones in front of the woman he worked with.

"This is good," Theo took a sip of his drink and smiled up at Oscar.

"It's just the – the um, house recipe…" Oscar mumbled awkwardly, rubbing his elbow.  _'Chill out. You talk all the time.'_

Theo shrugged.

"Still good."

Oscar gave a small smile and dropped his eyes. They landed on Theo's arm, noticing the scar on his wrist was scabbed over and bruised. He couldn't help but recoil into himself with a grimace. Theo dropped his left arm from the table.

"It was fading," Theo shrugged nonchalantly.

Oscar nodded, he could hear Jax chastising him in his head for being rude. He couldn't help it though. It looked like it hurt, Jax's scar hadn't been renewed in years and it was still on their shoulder. He put his hand over Theo's apologetically. Theo smirked and tapped Oscar's hand playfully, shaking his head. Oscar let out a sigh of relief.  _'Apology accepted.'_

Karen cleared her throat and Oscar's head snapped back to the counter, his cheeks burning.

"Everyone's gone now. You can leave early, I'll clean up. A thank you for last week," she smiled.

"Oh," Oscar bowed his head and nodded his head appreciatively. "Thank you."

Oscar went behind the counter to hang up his apron and put on his coat and gloves. He noticed Theo had placed his cup on the counter and looked ready to go. The two shared quick goodbyes with the woman before leaving.

The air outside had turned for the colder and nipped at Oscar's cheeks, ears and nose. He rubbed at the areas grumpily, hoping to encourage some slightly more favorable blood circulation. A muffled snort alerted him of Theo's amusement so he dropped his hands into his pockets immediately.

"Not a fan of the cold?"

"Not… really," Oscar chewed the insides of his cheeks. "Are you?"

Theo shrugged his shoulders and nudged Oscar with his elbow gently.

"You don't wrap up warm enough for an Omega," The playful nature of his voice didn't prevent Oscar from picking up on the undertones of genuine concern. "Ours piles on the layers this time of year."

"Mm," Oscar hummed distractedly. He didn't like that small twinge of jealousy in the pit of his stomach. He gestured with his head towards a park entrance. "Um, I cut through here."

The two continued their path through the gates, Theo pointing to a wooden bench nearby.

"If you're not too cold, want to sit for a while?" His invite was hard to resist and Oscar was certainly in no mood to decline. He curled a lock of hair around his fingers thoughtfully.

"Okay."

Theo dropped onto the bench, patting the space next to him. Oscar smiled bashfully and daintily perched beside him, mentally recording the four and half inch space between their thighs. He fished his phone out of his pocket and pulled off a single glove with a grimace.

"Jax," He explained meekly, tapping out a text to his friend that he would be late home and not to worry. He received one back within seconds of a thumbs up emoji. He snorted and put his phone away, pulling his glove back on. While he did so, he noticed that Theo had placed a cigarette in between his lips and scowled.

"What's up?" Theo asked obliviously.

"They're bad for you," Oscar mumbled wearily.

"Believe it or not, I've cut down tenfold from New Years," Theo took the cigarette out from its place between his lips and slipped it back into the carton in his pocket. "They used to call me an expensive chimney."

Oscar huffed a small laugh and directed his gaze to his boots. He had scuffed the leather on the right foot, Jax would tell him off for sure. He tapped his heels against each other rhythmically. It was better to focus on something other than Theo for the time being, his eyes burned with the urge to stare at that purple wound. Despite his efforts, he couldn't help flittering between his boots and Theo's wrist periodically.

"Is this bothering you?" Theo asked shortly, raising his forearm.

"No – um – no not – not really," Oscar babbled, panicked, His eyes wide and his hands up defensively. He shrunk into himself guiltily. "I just… I've never seen one like – well – like that."

Theo relaxed into the bench and draped an arm over the panel behind him. He shook his head again and smiled gently.

"It's worth it," he gestured vaguely with the hand on his lap. "If we hated it, we wouldn't be a pack."

_Pack._  That word pricked at Oscar's ears unpleasantly. He put his hands in between his thighs and rubbed them together.

"I'll take it that you've never been a part of one," Theo deduced slowly, eyeing Oscars facial expressions carefully. He really did give away every thought that passed through his head.

Oscar shook his head earnestly and chanced meeting Theo's stare.

"Jax has," he paused. Did he talk about Jax too much? He didn't want to bore Theo, but he didn't have any other source material to refer to.

"Didn't like it?"

"Grew out of it," Oscar shrugged. Jax had always been vague about the reason for their departure from the group of people they'd grown up with. It didn't bother him too much. "My parents are Betas… Everything I know comes from Jax, really."

"And what do you know?" Theo asked skeptically.

Oscar shrugged, nibbling his lip.

"Isn't it different for like… packs? I mean, between packs. I don't know..." He trailed off uncertainly. He could visualize what he knew in his head but communicating it was proving to be a feat. "Jax said they were like, all together."

Theo nodded at him, inviting him to continue.

"They shared the Omegas," Oscar's nose wrinkled with disgust. The very thought of it made him feel like the contents of his stomach was curdling.

"I doubt it wasn't consensual," Theo replied shortly.

Oscar could see a hint of irritation in his expression and bowed his head guiltily. His instincts were weighing down on his opinions of the matter; he wanted to argue that there was no way that that was the case, but his biology told him to submit, to let it go.

"But that's your opinion," Theo looked troubled for a moment. Then he raised the hand of the arm draped over the bench and caught a lock of Oscar's hair, wrapping it around his finger. "My pack aren't like that. We're family."

Oscar's cheeks felt considerably warmer than they had when they first left the shop. He pressed his thighs closer together, noticing that the space between his own and Theo's had shrunk to at least three inches.

"Only five of us right now," Theo released the curl with a smile. He let his hand rest on the side of Oscar's neck instead. "I joined two years ago. Met Noah and Aki through Grace, then Bloss."

Despite Oscar's state of near intoxication at the skin-to-skin contact with the Alpha, he noticed the warmth behind his eyes as he continued his musings. It was slightly frustrating that that ochre heat had been stoked by somebody other than him, whilst he felt so close to melting. He remained mute.

"We live together," Theo tapped his fingers against the nape of Oscar's neck in a fashion that wasn't dissimilar to the pattern that he had tapped against the table top. "You should come over some day."

He cracked that velvet smile that quirked the right side of his mouth and Oscar let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in. As the mist poured from his lips and into the open air, he couldn't help but to lean into Theo's touch greedily. Theo seemed pleased by this, encouraging Oscar into his side with a gentle pull.

"I don't know…" Oscar mumbled distractedly, extremely scent-heady. Each sniff sent a pleasant wave of heat into his veins.

"Jax too," Theo bartered. He stroked his thumb against Oscar's scalp from his hand's position on his neck. Said boy melted into a needy puddle, resting his head against Theo's arm. This was entirely unfair. "What do you say?"

"Nn… Okay…" Oscar whispered reluctantly. Future repentance was out the window for now, all he knew was that Theo's hand on his skin felt  _good_ and that if agreeing to something he didn't feel particularly comfortable about doing was the way to ensure that the contact continued for a while longer, he'd gladly do it.

Theo hummed happily. The two remained in that position until the cold began to creep under the layers of clothing they had on and the perpetual heat being generated between where their sides met wasn't enough to sustain them. Eventually, Theo suggested that they should probably continue their journey lest they suffer Jax's wrath.

The walk home continued, slowly, Oscar remaining pressed against Theo's side and Theo's arm hanging over his shoulder. His heart was racing a thousand beats per minute, but Oscar's steps were steady and uniform with the man's next to him, who had slowed his stride to accommodate Oscar's shorter legs. He could hardly comprehend how natural and  _right_ it felt to be this way.

It was fairly dark by the time they reached the apartment block. Oscar spun on his heel from the door, towards Theo. Feeling bold, he squeezed his hand softly. He wanted something, incredibly so. Albeit, he wasn't sure just what it was that he wanted… but he knew that he wanted  _something._

"Did you always look like this?" Theo asked playfully, his voice low. He squeezed the smaller hand in return, planting a brief kiss against the back of his hand.

Oscar gazed up at the Alpha through his eyelashes, unable to find his voice. He could feel the corners of his mouth pull up into a sweet smile, Theo groaning light-heartedly.

"Oscar, do you want me to let you go home any point soon? You have to stop that," he pressed Oscar's hand against his cheek and smiled.

Oscar noted the stubble tickling his palm before he noticed that Theo had had to stoop down in order to achieve this. A weak giggle spilled from his lips before he could prevent it. Theo dropped his hand from his face with a defeated expression.

"Thank you," Oscar murmured quietly, the close proximity inhibiting his reluctance to speak. "For the – for walking me home."

"Well, hey," Theo smirked and squeezed Oscar's hand. "Anytime."

Oscar nodded and glanced back at the door hesitantly. He'd have to go inside at some point, he knew that.

"Jax is probably wondering where you are," Theo turned his gaze upwards, seeking out the possibility of a familiar face pressed against the glass. "I'll let you go for now."

' _For now.'_  Oscar was pretty sure that if he wasn't so cold he'd be a simpering mess, denying the other the option of leaving. Instead, he nodded.

"Goodnight," Theo stooped down again to brush his lips against Oscar's cheek, his stubble tickling the sensitive skin of Oscar's face.

Oscar's heart thudded loudly in his chest. He stared longingly up at the other man before squeaking out a small 'bye' and darting inside of the building. A quick look over the shoulder showed a temporarily dumb-founded Theo before he let out a loud chuckle, gave a final wave and headed back down the path.

As every scentless breath filled his lungs with every step to the third floor, the dawning realization of what had just happened poured into every cavity of his body. By the time Jax had opened the front door to his rapid knocks, he had crouched into a ball, his hands fisted into his hair with embarrassment.

"Fucking hell," Jax chastised him through downright laughter, tugging him inside.

"Oh my  _God,"_ Oscar moaned through his fingers. He could still smell Theo's scent on the sleeve of his coat and the brush of his chin against his cheek and hand. He vaguely registered Jax pressing their hands against his face with a low whistle, a comment about how cold he was and the taking off of his coat. He looked up at his friend, horrified. "I'm  _so into him?"_

A pause.

Raucous laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uni's piling it on atm, so enjoy a quick update while you can 8'))
> 
> Updates and more on tumblr, @warlockllama


	4. Third Date's Approved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for how short this chapter is (andhowlongittookcoughcough) but I've been swamped with uni deadlines as of late. Luckily the holidays are approaching fast so I'll have my hands free! So in the meantime, please continue to be patient with me. Thank you!

If there was one thing that Jax had drilled into Oscar’s head, it was to take care of his health. They had always insisted on Oscar maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough sleep, even regulating the amount of suppressants Oscar was allowed to use during his heat. So, when Monday morning rolled round the following day and the Omega had watering eyes and a sore throat, he supposed he really should have expected the frosty reception he received upon staggering into the kitchen.

“I knew you were cold,” Jax shook their head and fixed Oscar with a stern frown.

“’m sorry,” Oscar croaked pitifully, bumping his head gently against Jax’s shoulder. Jax pressed a cool hand against his forehead and tutted. “It’s just a cold…”

“’Just a cold’, he says,” Jax mocked Oscar, lacking real conviction behind their voice. They held Oscar away at an arm’s length and carefully assessed the man’s well-being with a quick flick of the eyes, up and down. “Go to bed.”

Oscar went to protest, quickly silenced by the fixed stare Jax set upon him. He frowned stubbornly and butted his head against Jax’s shoulder with displeasure. Jax retaliated by cuffing his shoulder gently, before carefully cupping Oscar’s cheeks with their hands.

“Don’t be a pain,” they chided Oscar. Cold thumbs rubbed Oscar’s cheeks softly, carefully pressing into the hollows. “You haven’t put on enough weight for the winter. That’s enough of a reason for me to keep you in bed.”

“I’m not exactly thin,” Oscar replied. He knew he was being unreasonable at this point, but he couldn’t help but resist Jax’s coddling every now and again. It wasn’t that he disliked it – in fact he rather enjoyed it – the problem lay in him having to admit to himself that he had let Jax down.

“You are for this season,” Jax’s hands dropped to Oscar’s hips, squeezing gently over his pajama bottoms. “See? Usually you have more here. Like you’re supposed to.”

Oscar huffed indignantly. Jax was right, as per usual. Omegas were meant to gain enough weight to ground them through the harsher seasons, being more susceptible to the cold than Alphas and Betas were. He vaguely recalled sex-ed lessons accounting it towards the body staying ready to accommodate a child, or something of the sort. He mentally noted to look it up online later.

“I don’t want to go back to bed,” Oscar mumbled pleadingly. Jax let out a reluctant sigh and carded a hand through Oscar’s waves sympathetically.

“Couch day?”

“Couch day!” Oscar beamed up at Jax. Couch days were his favorite; regardless of which one of them was ill (the overwhelming majority of the time this being Oscar), both of their schedules would be cleared to allow an entire day of watching whatever online videos either of them pleased, drinking soup and other warm drinks, whilst snuggled up in a nest of blankets on the couch. Jax pressed their lips against Oscar’s forehead affectionately and patted his hip.

“Get your laptop hooked up to the screen, I’ll get the blankets.”

Jax headed to the closet in the hallway and Oscar scurried off to do as he had been told. He could faintly hear Jax grunt under the weight of all the blankets and quilts that the two had collected over the years, and snickered. The VGA cable was set up in seconds and Oscar waited patiently for Jax to drape and arrange the bedding correctly, sit down and gesture for Oscar to join them. He happily obliged, dropping down into the blankets and leaning into Jax’s side. The laptop was left on the coffee table as the two accommodated each other’s limbs and positions, assuming the familiar position of Oscar’s head against Jax’s shoulder and his legs over their lap.

“You smell funny,” Oscar commented with a slight frown. He nosed against Jax’s neck gently before flicking their chin.

“You’re hardly one to talk, doll,” Jax retorted. “I can smell him on you, you know.” Oscar’s lips flapped indignantly and he smacked Jax’s chest in protest. “No worries, it’s not that strong.”

“Douche,” Oscar huffed. His fingertips traced the black branches of Jax’s tattoo that traveled across their arm. “Who was it then?” Jax shrugged their shoulders nonchalantly. They flashed the small man a cheeky grin and pressed the barbell in their tongue against their teeth. “ _Jax!_ ” Oscar smacked them again.

“Alright, alright, I give,” Jax snickered. “Alpha.”

“ _No,_ ” Oscar gasped, scandalized. Realistically speaking, this behavior was nothing new for Jax but it felt good to gossip as they did all the same. “ _Who?_ ”

“You know Cadmus?” Oscar shook his head. “The Greek dude with the longish hair? Yeah?” Oscar’s mouth gaped open, he nodded. “We were having a drink. He said that his one of his pack’s omegas was in heat and he wasn’t allowed anywhere near her. He was pent up, so.” Jax shrugged.

“You’re too easy,” Oscar reprimanded Jax with a mix of admiration and disbelief. “All the way?”

“Woah, no,” Jax shook their head and raised their hands defensively. “You see the dude? Think I’d be sitting if I did?” Oscar groaned. “Alright, my bad, bit nasty, but still.”

“You’re so _gross_ ,” Oscar laughed into their shoulder.

“Well excuse me, your highness,” Jax jabbed Oscar in the ribs softly. “Not all of us are being courted by a mysterious-,” Oscar raised an eyebrow. “Yes, mysterious. Mysterious ‘fuck-me-eyes’ big guy.”

“Oh my _God_ , stop,” Oscar whined and slapped their hand. He hid his face in his hands and peeked out from in-between his fingers. “He invited us round.”

“And you said?” Jax asked pensively.

“Yes?” Oscar replied in a small voice.

“Do you think you were in any position to think it through?” Jax’s upper lip curled slightly. “You know I don’t mind going, Oscar, but personally, I don’t think you would’ve chosen that if you weren’t all drunk on his scent.”

“It’s okay,” Oscar reassured his friend urgently. He knew that Jax had his best interest at heart and was touched by their concern. “You’ll be there anyways. I didn’t even have to ask for that you know, Theo just said it.” He flushed when he realized that he was leaping to defend the Alpha’s actions. Jax’s arm curled around his waist.

“Are you sure?” Jax’s stare was one-hundred percent serious, a look Oscar rarely got to see. He nodded confidently. “Alright, babe. We’ll go.”

“Thank you,” Oscar pressed an excited kiss against Jax’s cheek, who lulled their head back lazily. “Yesterday was insane. I thought my heart was going to explode.” Jax sniggered but gestured for him to continue, Oscar bringing his knees closer to his chest as he fulfilled the request. “It’s like… I know we’re only just getting to know each other, but, I feel so close? You know?” Jax shrugged.

“Could be a pheromone thing. You said he smells really good but to me it’s ‘eh’. Yours and his are probably complementary or some shit. I dunno, I’m no scientist.” Oscar tugged one of their lip rings and gave them a sarcastic look.

“ _Really_?”

“Shut it. I’m just saying,” Jax chided him impatiently.

“Maybe,” Oscar hummed thoughtfully. He supposed it wasn’t completely irrational. He raised a hand to play with the naked hair atop their head. It was nice to catch Jax without hair product every now and again, their hair was awfully fluffy. “He got his bite opened up. It looked so bad.”

“Pack bite?” Jax cocked their head to the side curiously, not so far as to hinder Oscar’s administrations. He nodded slowly. “Was it infected, or?”

“Oh no, not like that,” Oscar worried his bottom lip. “Like. Purple and black. Bruised, is what I meant to say.”

“It looks worse than it feels, don’t worry about it,” Jax shrugged. They instinctively rubbed their shoulder, where their own scar was. “Yeah, it hurts, especially in the moment if you’re not on a sex high – “Oscar cringed. “But for an Alpha like him? Couldn’t have hurt that much. They have a high pain tolerance. They heal quickly too. You probably caught him a day or so after it was opened.”

“You’re not an Alpha,” Oscar commented softly. His eyes were fixated on the area of skin that he knew the faded scar was. “And you were too young to be on a sex high. I think.”

“Ah, mine was shallow though. If you’re born into a pack they don’t mark you with a permanent intent. When you present you’re meant to make up your mind about whether you wanna stay or not,” Jax gestured vaguely with their hand as they explained. They cracked their neck. “That’s why mine isn’t in a visible place, too. It’ll probably be gone in three or four years. The needles that pierce tattoos pierce deeper than they did.”

It was dawning on Oscar that he, indeed, didn’t know as much about packs as he thought. He drummed his fingertips against his leg in imitation of the way that Theo had drummed his against Oscar’s neck.

“If we ever join a pack it’d be more visible,” Jax smirked and tapped Oscar’s wrist. “Here, maybe?”

“Oh, don’t,” Oscar protested, flustered. He had to admit that the thought had briefly crossed his mind during one or two fantasies. He would have to assume his mate’s pack, after all. “I don’t even _know_ them.”

“You met two of them. Right?” Jax reasoned, counting off two of their fingers. “Noah and Grace.”

“That’s not knowing them,” Oscar frowned. “And that’s only two. There’s two more.”

Jax let out a low whistle. “That’s a small pack, right there.” Oscar shrugged, slightly embittered by his cluelessness. “Haven’t been around for long then. Must be tough.” There was a pause. “If Theo’s got the bite, that means he’s not the head, yeah? I’d hate to see the guy that’s bigger than that fucker. Oscar cringed slightly at Jax’s crude language but nodded in agreement.

“I think his name is Aki. That’s a boy’s name, right?” Oscar asked curiously. “That’s the only other guy he mentioned.”

“How the fuck would I know, my names _Jax,_ ” Jax laughed, Oscar joining them. “Right, enough of this. Laptop.”

Oscar grinned happily and picked up his laptop with care before plopping it onto his lap. Jax hauled him by the waist to in-between their legs, pulled a blanket over their back, and rested their chin on Oscar’s shoulder. The Omega pecked their chin warmly.

“If it’s K-Pop again let me grab my bearings first,” Jax teased. “Last time you made me bite my tongue, you flailed so much.”

“I can’t help it, my bias was trying to speak English,” Oscar protested.

“You’re the whitest Asian I’ve ever met,” Jax snorted.

Oscar ignored them and snuggled further against Jax’s chest before choosing a video to watch. Having a cold wasn’t so bad, he got to relax _and_ he got Jax’s consent. He beamed down at the screen.

_‘Brilliant!’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr @ warlockllama


	5. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, have a longer than usual chapter as a holiday present! /o/ Thanks for all the reviews so far, they're rly motivating and cool! ･*･:≡(ε:)

Theo had accepted the news of approval rather well, Oscar thought. He'd decided to text him the following morning and had received a reply shortly afterward that contained maybe a _few_ more exclamation points than necessary. Either way, he was relieved that his enthusiasm was being met at the same level. He also thought that Jax had been ratherpleased,if the croaky grunt they had let out upon having the bright screen of his phone shoved in their face first thing in the morning meant anything.

The texting had continued throughout the morning, fueling Oscar through his nine o'clock lecture and ten o'clock seminar. Early mornings had never agreed with the Omega's preferred sleep cycle, and though he still had to muffle the occasional yawn into his arm, he found himself significantly more alert. His thumbs tapped at the sides of his phone restlessly in-between messages and his eyes regularly darted down to his screen from the projector. He never got that many notes down anyway, he supposed. In hindsight, it was no wonder that he had been too distracted to notice the calling of his name as he left the seminar.

"Oscar."

…

" _Oscar!_ "

The Omega's head snapped up from his phone immediately, eyes darting around with confusion. He felt a firm hand clamp down on his shoulder and turned his head, startled.

"Hey there," Oscar gaped up at the beaming smile of Grace. "Remember me?"

"Grace?" He squeaked. People from the seminar were beginning to stare and he could feel his face redden with embarrassment. The tall blonde woman had quite the presence. "Can we? Um….," He tilted his head to the side nervously. Grace nodded and guided Oscar away from the hubbub and into the courtyard by his elbow.

"I've been waiting to catch you again, now that I actually know who you are," the Alpha laughed, patting his back. Oscar nodded timidly. He found her to be slightly intimidating without anyone else around, something about her _oozed_ dominance. "Jax not with you?"

"Um, no… We do different subjects," Oscar gulped down the lump in his throat. There was no reason to be afraid of Grace, she had been nothing but friendly to him. He settled his eyes on the polka-dotted print of her scarf. "Jax does C.D. Media."

"Ah, of course," Grace chuckled. "Looks the type to do something like that." Oscar nodded in agreement. The low buzz of his phone brought his attention back down to his hand. "Theodore?" Grace asked slyly, leaning in to look at the screen. Oscar brought the phone to his chest instinctively, astounded by her forwardness. "Oops, sorry. My bad. I'm nosy."

"That's…" Oscar couldn't bring himself to say that it was okay, so he offered her a strained smile. He chanced a look at the text to distract himself from the awkwardness of the situation.

_You'redone for the day now?_

He tapped out a quick reply confirming Theo's suspicion, before sliding the phone back into his pocket. It was rude to stare at his phone while Grace was trying to speak to him.

"You got our invite?" Grace smiled warmly down at him. Oscar tilted his head, puzzled. _'Our?'_ "Theo's wanted youroundfor a while.Sorryyou didn't get one sooner but our Bloss' been ill," The woman sighed, troubled. "She's fine now, though, so you've got the all clear. I couldn't have you getting sick on my conscious, you see."

Oscar's chest warmed at the words. It was very considerate of her to think so. "Thank you... That's really nice of you," he recalled Theo's concern over the lack of layers he wore and felt a tad guilty. "Is she… Is she okay?"

"Oh yeah, she's alright," Grace chuckled. "She bounces back pretty quickly.Hatesbeing sick." Oscar wiped his nose with his tissue, smiling sheepishly. "I can see you're not faring that well either."

"Just the last of a cold," Oscar protested quietly. He wasn't lying – Jax had a ton of odd herbal remedies that they had ordered him to drink the day before. They'd never failed to clear up a cold yet. "It'll be gone by tomorrow." Grace looked unconvinced but smiled anyway. She went to open her mouth before her phone began ringing.

"Sorry," she mouthed apologetically before answering the phone and holding it to her ear. "Hello?" Oscar scuffed his shoe against the cobblestone awkwardly as he waited. "Yeah, sorry. I bumped into littleol' Oscar here, so I got distracted." He looked up at her curiously, she wasn't paying attention. "Yeah I'm with him now. Jealous?" She laughed and winked at the Omega.

"Theo?" Oscar asked softly, his eyes big. Grace cooed and nodded, grinning.

"I was going to invite him to dinner, you interrupted," Grace reprimanded Theo through the phone in a voice so stern it coaxed out a muffled snort from Oscar. It took him a moment to comprehend what she had actually said. He flushed red. The low buzz of Theo's voice through the phone made him restless; he wanted to hear him properly. "He's _fine._ It's not like I've got him at gun point," Grace gave an exaggerated roll of the eyes and pulled a face. "Alright, you do it. Here," A phone was thrust into Oscar's face. He took it cautiously and held it against his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Theo sounded stressed and sleep addled. Oscar turned his head away from Grace to hide his smile. "She's not being a pain is she?"

"Oh no, no no," Oscar nibbled his lip, anticipating what Grace had said. Said woman was yawning into her scarf, scratching her head. He found it incredibly strange how she could have such a dominant energy and be a goofball so seamlessly.

"How's your cold?"

"Nearly gone."

"That's good," there was a pregnant pause. Oscar held his breath, expectant. "Wanna come over for dinner?" Theo sounded so defeated that Oscar couldn't hold in the explosive giggles that poured from his lips. "Stop laughing and give me an answer," Theo demanded, grouchy but soft. Oscar could only guess that he hadn't left his bed yet. Judging from their conversations, Theo preferred to stay in bed until at least eleven.

"Yes," he whispered shyly. There was a pleased grunt on the other end of the line. "When?"

"Grace said any day is fine," Theo yawned loudly. "So whenever is good for you." Oscar smiled up at the Alpha meekly, who shot him a toothy smile back.

"I'm good anytime," Oscar bit his tongue. ' _You thirsty ass-'"_ I mean, anytime is okay, I mean."

"Tonight?" Theo sounded as if he'd perked up substantially. "If Jax is free, too."

"Tonight?" Oscar repeated, squeaking. That was a tad sooner than he'd expected. "Tonight," he balled his hand into his sweater nervously. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Grace feigning interest in her nails, not bothering to conceal the amusement on her face.

"Cool," Theo laughed, clearly pleased. "I can pick you guys up if you want."

"Oh no, that's okay," Oscar protested. He didn't want to be a bother. "Just… Just the address is fine."

"I'll text it to you then," Theo replied. A gust of wind ruffled the two's clothing and Grace called for Theo to wrap things up. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Oscar said his goodbyes and handed the phone back to the restless woman beside him, who briefly said her own. When the wind blew her scarf it lapped against Oscar's face, he couldn't help but notice that her scent was somewhat piney and citrus-like. It suited her.

"Well, Oscar," She sighed. "I shall see you later. Yes?"

"Yes," He bowed his head politely. "Thank you for – well thank you so much," He hoped she hadn't noticed the stumble. _'How embarrassing.'_

"No problem at all, little one," Resisting the urge to object the nickname, Oscar ducked his head down. "Bye-bye. Don't eat before you come over!" He nodded and smiled, relief flooding his veins as the long-legged woman hurried away. It didn't seem wrong to feel that she was definitely odd, even by his standards. Nevertheless, she was nice and that was all that mattered. As Oscar set out on his own path back home he wondered if all the pack were like that, and despite the growing claws of fear in his chest, there was a small flutter of excitement in his stomach.

* * *

The flat was surprisingly tidy when Oscar got back in. A quick look into the linen closet showed neatly (if not slightly haphazardly) folded and sorted quilts and blankets, with the assorted cushions and pillows Oscar collected filed into their places. He called out for his friend curiously, unwrapping his scarf and shedding his coat as he did. A loud "in here" notified him of Jax's presence in the bathroom, splashing water onto their face as Oscar peaked in.

"You tidied up?" Oscar asked, disbelief evident in his voice. Jax rolled their eyes and nodded, kicking their shirt to the side and scratching their chest. "I wouldn't have minded doing it." Jax shrugged and yawned loudly.

"I don't have anything on, so why not? I was bored," Jax tilted their head to and fro and examined their piercings carefully. They ran their tongue over their teeth. "How're you feeling?"

"A lot better," Oscar perched on the side of the bathtub and settled on looking at the array of ink-work across Jax's back. "My nose is a little runny, but it's nearly gone," he pressed a cold hand against the small of Jax's back mischievously, Jax shuddering and hissing in displeasure. "Thank you, Jaaaax."

"Don't be a little shit," Jax shook their head at him. Oscar smiled sweetly in return. "How was your seminar?"

"Same as always," Oscar paused. He jabbed one of the dimples at the base of their spine, demanding their attention. "I saw Grace. She um, well she invited us to dinner. Like… today." Jax's reflection showed an arched an eyebrow and they waved a hand, inviting him to elaborate. "Like – going over to their house. Tonight. For dinner."

"Sounds fun," Jax grinned. They turned around, resting against the sink beneath the mirror. "Do you feel up to it?" Oscar tilted his head and shrugged, pursing his lips.

"I said yes, so," he let out a heavy breath through his nose.

"Then just say that in the first place," Jax laughed and shook their head. "What time?"

"Theo said five," Oscar glanced down at the text the Alpha had sent him for the fifth time that morning. Jax grunted and stretched their arms behind their head. "I said we could get there ourselves."

"Wanna take theped?" Jax cocked their head curiously. "On second thoughts, no. It's getting icy. Can't have you on there," Jax hooked their thumbs in the belt loops of their jeans. "We'll get a cab." Oscar nodded. "Hey, do you think you'll want - ?"

"Huh?"

"Your pills," Jax mimed popping a few into their mouth. "Your heat's in two weeks. Just in case."

"No, no," Oscar shook his head. He drummed his fingers against the ceramic. Jax had tried their hardest to understand the phenomenon that was an Omega's heat cycle, but there were still gaps in their knowledge thatwashard for any Beta to empathize with. "Earlyheatscan't be triggered until I'm nesting. Right now I don't even feel a thing." Jax clicked their tongue and nodded.

"Noted."

"I'm not looking forward to it," Oscar sighed. Jax chuckled and leaned forward to ruffle his hair. They heaved themselves up from the sink and gestured for Oscar to follow them into the living room. "I mean, I never do, but I'm _really_ not this time," he complained, kicking off his shoes in the hall before joining Jax.

"You'll live. For now, let's just chill out," Jax was fiddling with the stereo beneath the TV. "Don't stress, just relax. Can't have you looking ugly." Oscar scoffed, deliberating whether to throw a sofa cushion at the back of their head or not. The increasing volume of the first track of his favorite album trickled through the speakers and he decided to put the cushion down. He grinned reluctantly. Jax shot him two pistols and a wink. "We good?"

"Okay. We're good."

* * *

Five o'clock came around faster than the Omega would've liked. Jax had called the cab attwenty-to, they'd left atten-toand arrived at five past, enduring fifteen minutes of forced chit-chat with the driver. Oscar balled his hands into the loose material of his wooly sweater and focused on mutely reciting the names of every Romantic poet from the 1800s that he could to distract himself from the gnawing beast of anxiety in his stomach. Jax had kept a firm grip on his shoulder as they guided him towards the house, having paid the driver and sent him on his way. The lights wereonbut the curtains were closed and Oscar began to stall his steps slightly, his mouth dry. If Jax was feeling nervous they certainly didn't show it, taking bold strides to the door and giving it a rapid knock. They didn't have to wait long before the door was opened by apantingTheo, Grace mere steps behind him.

"Hey," Theo wheezed, standing aside to let the two in. "Come in." Jax snickered and stepped in first, giving Oscar and Theo a moment to themselves.

"I-I told you," Oscar frowned weakly up at the Alpha, who seemed momentarily stunned by the statement. "Smoking is bad for you." Theo stared at Oscar as if he had said something ludicrous before placing a hand over his face and chuckling.

"You're right, babe," He dropped the hand and brought Oscar into his chest with an arm into a loose embrace. "Thanks for coming," he spokelowlyinto Oscar's curls, resting his cheek atop his head. Oscar could feel his cheeks burning with a mixture of embarrassment and want. The scent of the larger man made him feel safer in the unfamiliar environment. "Come in," Theo moved Oscar out of the way of the door so that he could close it, keeping the Omega in his hold. "I'll tell you what you're dealing with here, alright?" Oscar nodded gratefully, keening into the warmth that Theo offered. "Grace and I are the only Alphas. We have two Betas and one Omega, alright? No need to be scared."

"Okay," Oscar whispered, feeling admittedly better now that he knew he didn't have to meet more Alphas. He wasn't sure his nerves could take it. Grace's head poked out of the doorway at the end of the hall.

"Come on, come on," She looked at her wrist. "Haven't got all day here." Theo scowled at her and held Oscar by his shoulders at an arm's length.

"Are you ready?" Oscar nodded; he was as ready as he was going to get. "Good boy," Theo ruffled his hair and led him down the hall. The Omega kept his eyes fixated on the hardwood flooring, his chest prickling at the soft sound of conversation. Upon entering the room he immediately registered the familiar faces of Jax, Grace, and Noah, but avoiding those of the two he didn't know – a tall, lanky man and a small, doll-like girl. Grace arose from an armchair and smiled warmly down at him, putting a warm hand on his forearm and gesturing to the two strangers.

"Oscar, this is Aki – "the bespectacled man raised a hand awkwardly "And this is Blossom," the tiny girl locked eyes with Oscar, the corners crinkling as she smiled sweetly. He recognized her smaller stature as being the Omega that had been mentioned and returned the smile weakly. It was then that it hit him that if Theo was the only other Alpha in the pack then it had to be Grace that was the head, and gaped at her, surprised. "Take a seat," the woman urged him, taking her own place back in the armchair. Oscar scurried to Jax's side immediately, Theo sinking into the seat beside him. "We were just discussing what we should have for dinner."

"No one wants to cook," Noah added, snickering. "Before you guys showed up we were gonna order in and just say we'd madei-"a prompt elbow to the ribs from Aki interrupted his spiel. He turned to shoot a glare at the taller Beta.

"What he means to say," Theo interrupted. "Is that none of us are the best cooks. Unless its cakes, in which case Bloss is your best shot." Said girl beamed at the praise.

"You should've said," Jax tilted his head towards Oscar. "This one here is a great cook." As all eyes settled on him, Oscar dropped his head down, radiating discomfort. "He'll say he isn't, but he is. Makes good hangover food too." The statement seemed to perk Noah's interest.

"The Omega Dream Team," this provoked some laughter, lightening the mood. Oscar found his hand being held tightly by Theo in between their thighs. He appreciated the effort and squeezed softly. The Alpha let out a pleased croon. "Shall I get the drinks?"

"Yes please," Grace waved her hand. She turned to Jax and Oscar. "Do you two drink?"

"I do," Jax scratched the back of their head nonchalantly. Oscar snorted, Jax _always_ drank. "Oscar, not so much."

"That's good," Theo murmured, rubbing his thumb over the back of Oscar's hand. Oscar smiled proudly down at his lap, eager to receive more praise.

"He can drink mine," a small voice offered, a beautifully bell-like voice, Oscar thought. "Do you likemilkshake?" It took a moment for him to realize that the gorgeous voice stemmed from the Omega sat across from him. He blinked repeatedly before nodding fervently, stammering out a small thank you. She might not have had the presence of Grace but she wasequallyas intimidating, Oscar couldn't help but compare himself against her. Blossom quickly glided across the floor and leaned in to rest her head against his shoulder, Oscar instinctively doing the same. "Don't be scared," she whispered softly. A wave of relaxation hit him as he breathed in her scent. She smelled sweet, like chocolate. He nodded into her shoulder and recalled his old Biology teacher's lessons on theOmeganpheromone system, it was wired into them to protect each other – to communicate without words. He wondered what his bombardment of anxiety must have felt like for her. He nuzzled against her jaw apologetically.

"Omegas are amazing," Grace commented, with a face of awe. The others nodded in agreement, all eyes on the two who seemed to be in their own little world. "Shame we can't read each other like that, eh, Theodore?"

"Stop calling me that," Oscar could hear the Alphas bicker, almost childlike in their tone. He breathed out a small laugh but was unable to see the exchange past the curtain of soft waves that enveloped his sight. Blossom rose from her position and smiled supportively down at him before returning to the sofa opposite, perching herself on the lap of Aki who welcomed her with a loose hug.

"That's insane," Jax commented quietly, their expression amazed. Oscar leaned into their side and nodded. "I've never seen you warm up to someone like that," The pride on their face warmed his chest. "Good job, doll." Oscar nipped their arm.

Noah reemerged into the room, his arms laden with bottles. He carefully placed the bottles of beer and fruit cider onto the table before passing both Omegas cartons of strawberry milkshake, running a hand through his silvery hair. Oscar wondered if it was high maintenance to have hair dyed that color, absentmindedly piercing the carton with the straw glued to the side and sipping from it. It wasn't long before everyone had reached for a drink, clearing the table of most the bottles and dissolving into chatter.

"I say we just get pizza," Grace mused, one long leg swung over the other. "Anyone have an issue with that?" Noah went to raise his hand and was quickly shot down by a cocked eyebrow from the Alpha. "No? Nobody? Good." Noah folded his arms, disgruntled. "I'll go order it now," Grace said as she left the room.

"Blossom wants to play cards," The well-spoken voice of Aki broke the short-lived silence, the red frames of his glasses being pushed back up his nose by the Omega in his lap. He had a sharp gaze that penetrated through the glass without aproblem ,thoughBlossom seemed unfazed. "Care to join us?"

"Yeah, I will," Jax volunteered, dropping onto the rug and shuffling their ass closer to the coffee table, shortly joined by Blossom, Noah, and Aki. "How'd you get such a nice place, by the way?" They let out a low whistle and looked around. Oscar could understand why, it baffled him how what he had seen of their house was so tastefully furnished if they were all students.

"This guy right here," Noah clapped Aki's back boastfully. "He may not look like much-"Aki's nose wrinkled. "But he's won quite a few art competitions. He's incredible, really." Oscar cocked his head curiously. That _did_ sound amazing.

"What he's forgetting to mention is that _Grace_ is an heir to a massive corporate company and bought the house out of her own pocket," Aki tacked on, shaking his head. Noah shrugged as if it were an unimportant detail.

"Yeah, but you decorated most of it," Noah replied. Aki shot him an exasperated look. "What? That's what they meant!"

"Boys," Theo interjected, the warning clear in his tone. The two bowed their heads in apology. He redirected his gaze, softening it, to Oscar. "Grace bought the house. She has appalling taste in furniture so we let Aki take charge of that," both Betas seemed satisfied with this explanation and turned back to their game, dealing out cards. "Aki has won a number of competitions, however. He's too humble."

"That's amazing," Oscar voiced quietly, unaware of the barely noticeable smile that quirked Aki's lips at the compliment. He looked up as Grace reappeared in the doorway.

"It'll be about half an hour," She collapsed back into her armchair. "Playing cards, are we?" Blossom nodded and stared up at her hopefully. "I'll join in," Grace gave in, smiling fondly at the smaller girl. She joined the group on the floor. "Theo."

"Yes?"

"Go show Oscar where the bathroom is. Give him a tour," her voice was candid, but her expression was sly. She spared a glance to Jax to ensure she had their cooperation and, happy with their nod, turned back to the two on the couch.

"What do you think? Wanna take a look around?" Theo asked gently. Oscar nodded, eager to please the Alpha. Theo stood up, pulling Oscar up with him. "We'll do that then."

As the two headed out of the room Oscar and Jax locked eyes. _'Be good.'_ Jaxmouthed,their face a mix of emotions that the Omega remembered his parentsbaringwhen he'd first announced he'd be moving out to live with his best friend. It seemed silly in this situation, but, he mouthed back a quick _'you too.'_ before closing the door behind him.

In a brief movement, Theo pulled him firmly into his chest, his arms encircling the small Omega's waist. The two stood, swaying softly in the dimly lit hallway.

"Good job," Theo murmured quietly. Oscar looked up at him, speechless. "I told you there was nothing to be scared of." He slowly loosened his hold of the smaller man and interlaced their fingers. Oscar felt as if his heart would jump out from his throat if he were to speak, so he bowed his head dumbly. "Let's go."

He could barely hear their clattering footsteps on the stairs over the beating of his heart. The Omega's eyes settled on the broad expanse of Theo's back, on his nape and arms. He wondered what they looked like without the thin cotton concealing them. Oscar shook his head wildly, willing the thoughts away. The Alpha brought him onto the landing, gesturing to the first door on the right.

"Bathroom," he commented distractedly. Oscar was certain that that was hardly the room that either of them was excited about. Sure enough, the Alpha continued his guidance of the Omega to one of the doors furthest down the hall. He paused and scratched his stubble, the crooked grin that Oscar adored appearing on his face. "My room."

"Your room?" Oscar breathed. He could certainly pick up on more of the man's musk behind the panel of wood. Theo nodded and cracked the door ajar, pausing, as if unsure of what to do next.

"Would you like to come in?" If Oscar had thought that Theo's voice was a low as it could get, he would be wrong. A shiver worked its way up his spine.

" _Yes_ ," he pleaded, squeezing his hand excitedly.

Theo pulled him into the room, flicked the light switch and closed the door behind him. Oscar took a few uncertain steps forward,havinglet go of Theo's hand, and began drinking in the scent-heavy environment. The walls were white, different from his own pastel blue ones. The bed was large – he supposed that being as tall as Theo was, that was necessary – and he had the urge to nestle into it, to see if it was as cushy and comfortable as it looked. He took a few more steps forward, brushing his fingertips over the bedcovers curiously.

"Hey," the warm prison of Theo's arms encircled him once more, heat seeping through onto his back. It was a delicious feeling to feel so _small_ in the Alpha's arms. He sank into the embrace, purring quietly. Theo propped his chin atop Oscar's head again. "Do you have any idea what I'm seeing right now?"

"No?" Oscar whispered, biting his lip. The skin that Theo was touching felt hot, too hot. He was glad that the Alpha couldn't see his face in the position that he held him.

"Take a guess," Theo crooned softly, his fingers splayed across Oscar's hips. The Omega shuddered, licking his lips.

"I-I don't know," he stammered.

"I'll tell you," Theo tightened his hold and Oscar squeezed his eyes shut, desperately attempting to ignore that he had been pulled flush against Theo's hips. "I'm seeing the _sexiest_ little Omega in _my room_ , touching _my bed."_ The lightgrowlsthat punctuated Theo's sentence sent shivers downwards, and Oscar let out a needy whimper.

"I-I'm sorry Alpha," he whispered, breathing in theheaveof lustful pheromones that Theo was letting out shakily. Everything was intense and nothing was giving him the breather that he felt as if he desperately needed. His submission pleased Theo greatly, who leaned down to mouth at his nape. Oscar fell lax in an instant, his limbs feeling as if they were made of jelly. This side of Theo was new and exciting, but extremely overwhelming.

Theo continued to kiss his nape, rubbing his neck against it gently. Oscar knew what he was doing, he was rubbing his scent against him. It was possessive, it was raw, and he wanted it so _badly_ that he felt like his head was spinning.

This continued for what felt like an eternity before Theo eventually relented and gently heaved Oscar up, wrapping his legs around his waist so that he could carry the dazzled Omega towards the window. He deftly opened the window with one hand and leaned against the wall beside it, allowing the cold air to penetrate the thick warmth of the room and slowlylullOscar back to his senses.

Coming back down from the high was unsettling – so much so that Oscar could feel his eyes welling with tears. He gulped down a small sob and buried his face into the source of his distress, heaving small panicky breaths into Theo's shoulder.

Theopethis head softly, stroking his back and thighs with feather light touches. He whispered encouragement into Oscar's reddened ears; how well he had taken it, what a good Omega he was and how happy he'd made him. The words slowly pacified Oscar, drying his tears and calming his breaths. Theo held him there for a while, the two holding onto each other with equal fervor.

"That was so weird…" Oscar whined, hiccuping into Theo's neck. He could feel the rumbles of laughter in the man's chest against his and draped his arms across Theo's broad shoulders.

"I'm sorry I made you cry," Theo repliedlowly. The sincerity of his voice assured Oscar that he meant it, so he nodded, pouting. "I'm not sorry for scenting you." Oscar squeaked in protest – it was far too embarrassing to hear what had just happened being voiced aloud. Theo laughed again.

"Jax is gonna make fun of us," the Omega informed the man matter-of-factly.

"Jax will most likely storm the room if I keep you here any longer," Theo replied playfully.

"Not yet," Oscar breathed, raising his head to look the man in the eyes.

"No?" Theo asked, his eyes dark with lust.

"They can't. You haven't even kissed me yet," Oscar complained in a whisper, his pout a tad angry. "You scented me, but you haven't even kissed me."

"Oh, babe," Theo nipped at his jaw softly. "You must know what you sound like when you say these things," He hitched Oscar up his waist higher so that his face was level with his own before leaning in and catching Oscar's bottom lip between his teeth. He released the plump flesh upon the frustrated whine he received and cupped Oscar's cheek with his hand, pulling him into a soft kiss. The Omega let out a shuddering breath and moved his lips clumsily against the larger man's slowly, drawing out the sweet kiss as long as he could.

"Well," Theo murmured, pulling back. "How do you feel now?"

"Swell," Oscar answered in a whisper, his lips flushed and wetted by his tongue.

"Let's go downstairs before they come to rescue you," Theo stroked his cheek gently and slowly eased Oscar's legs off from his waist and settled him back onto his feet. Oscar nodded obediently and reached for Theo's hand, who clasped it tightly.

The journey back downstairs was significantly slower than it had been going up. Oscar's legs were shaky with exertion and he relied heavily on Theo's support making it to the front room again. As they opened the door Jax's eyes immediately flickered upwards from the table and searched for signs of distress in Oscar's expression. Finding none of the remnants of panic that he had endured before, Jax smiled cheekily and winked at him.

Being Betas, Jax, Noah and Aki seemed oblivious to the satiated pheromones that the pair were releasing. Their mixed scents were noticed, but – by Aki's advice – not commented upon. Blossom bestowed Oscar with a knowing smile, Grace also.

Theo had returned to his seat on the couch, pulling Oscar onto his lap. Oscar froze, at first, such an open display of affection was mortifying, but, realizing that no one particularly cared, he happily sank back into the hold.

The pizzas arrived shortly afterward, plopped unceremoniously onto the table by Noah. Seemingly ravenous, the group dived into the food, scarfing down slices of the pizza at an alarming speed.

Oscar had opted not to, too embarrassed to eat in front of other people. Unfortunately for him, Theo had had none of it and coaxed him into taking bites out of his own slices, stroking his stomach over his jumper, pleased.

As the night continued, Oscar found himself curling further into Theo's hold, eventually finding himself being cradled by the Alpha (who was more than happy to cooperate). The drinking and eating continued also, Oscar fondly watching Jax chatting and engaging in banter with the rest of the pack. This wasn't what he had pictured at all. This was different – it was _nice_. He'd imagined a stifling hierarchical structure, not –well,if there was any word for it – not a _family_.

In fact, he was reluctant to leave when Jax had tried to pry him from Theo's hold with complaints that the cab would leave without them. Oscar didn't want to go, he wanted to stay there. And he knew that Theo wanted him to stay too. However, the shred of rationality that remained in his head knew that yes, he did have to go. And so he did, if not a tad grouchily.

The lingering kiss that Theo had pressed against his cheek at the door and the request that he return soon from Blossom culminated in a flowering warmth in his chest that refused to die the rest of the evening. He was certain that Jax had enjoyed themselves too – if the grin that had plastered itself across their face meant anything.

Getting home was swift, and Jax and Oscar soon retired to their own rooms for some well-deserved rest. And as he settled down for the night, pulling the covers up to his neck, Oscar couldn't help but think: _'Maybe packs aren't so bad.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! B3
> 
> Leave a review if you'd like (I'dreallylikeitcoughcough) and feel free to follow me on el tumblo at warlockllama

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Apologies if there are any inconsistencies or typos or any of the like. In case anybody didn't catch on, this story will be ongoing and will be featuring the Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamic. As this was meant to serve as a sort of prologue, I didn't put in much character description but that'll be coming in the oncoming chapters. 
> 
> Side note, I just started a tumblr! (warlockllama . tumblr . com) feel free to drop by!


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